Apparatus for use in the fire control of antiaircraft guns



\ J. P. WATSON Dec. 3, 1935.

APPARATUS FOR USE IN THE FIRE CONTROL OF ANTIAIRCRAFT GUNS 4 Sheets- Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 28, 1951 l I I l I l i L Dec. 3, 1935. 2 R A ON 2,023,257

APPARATUS FOR USE IN THE FIRE CONTROL OF ANTIAIRGRAFT GUNS Filed Nov. 28, 1931. 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. P. WATSON Dec. 3, 1935.

APPARATUS FOR USE IN THE FIRE CONTROL OF ANTIAIRCRAFT GUNS I 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I Filed Nov. 28 1951 Patented Dec. 3, 1935 PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR- USE IN THE FIRE CON- TROL 0F ANTIAIRCRAFT GUNS John Percival Watson, Westminster, England, as-

signor to Vickers-Armstrongs Limited, London, England, a British company Application November 28, 1931, SerlaLNo. 577,848

In Great Britain December 1, 1930 13 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for use in the fire control of anti-aircraft guns carried by a ship or other unstable platform, the said apparatus comprising a controlling sight whose movements in elevation and training in following the target are transmitted to a calculator from which the necessary data for thelaying of the gun or guns is obtained.

According to the present invention I provide means for elevating or depressing the controlling sight in accordance with the ascertained roll in the normal vertical plane of the sight (herein termed the sight roll) so that the sight elevating number is relieved of the work heretofore necessary in compensating for the sight roll. I may also add to the movement in accordance with the sight roll a movement in accordance with the elevation angle (or a function thereof) derived from the calculator, and also the correction for sight elevation cross level as disclosed in Patent No. 1,891,397, issued December 20, 1932, to the present applicant, so that in this case the only work'required to be done by the sight elevating number is to vary the elevation when the rate of elevation of the target alters as shown by the target moving away from the sight line, the sight remaining on the target so long as this rate does not vary.

I also, according to the present invention, provide means whereby the controlling sight is trained in accordance with the required train heretofore necessary in correcting the training 7 for. the movement of the sight due to sight trunnion roll. I may also add to the movement in accordance with the sight training cross level, a movement in accordance with the training angle (or a function thereof) derived from the calculator so that in this case-the only work required to be. done by the sight training number is to vary the training when the rate of training or bearing of the target varies as shown by the target'moving away from the sight line, the sight remaining on the target so long as this rate does not vary.

Furthermore the vertical andv lateral deflection setting handles normally provided on the calculator may be arranged at the controlling sight station, the movement of these latter handles being transmitted in any suitable manner to the corresponding shafts of the calculator. In this manner the necessity for the pairs of elevation and training pointers (or the plotting devices) 5 mentioned in my said concurrent specification is avoided as the point of reference now becomes the actual target.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into eflect, the same will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagram showing one form of. apparatus in accordance with my invention, and, 15

Figure 2 is a diagram showing another form of apparatus in accordance with my invention in which the vertical and lateral deflection setting handles are arranged at the controlling sight station.

Referring to Figure 1, the apparatus is similar in most respects (except as regards the features of the present invention) to the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings of the aforementioned Patent No. 1,891,397, and -the parts 25 which are directly related to the present invention are indicated by the same reference letters; thus A is the controlling sight, A is the elevation transmitter, A is the elevation receiving motor, B is the training carriage on which the 30 sight A is mounted, B is the training transmitter, B is the training receiving motor, C is the shaft operated by the calculator in accordance with generated elevation, c is the vertical deflection setting handle, D is the shaft operated 35 by the calculator in accordance with generated training, d is thelateral deflection setting handle, a is the shaft operated in accordance with sight roll, a is the shaft operated in accordance with sight elevation cross level, 40 and b is the shaft operated in accordance with "sight training cross level.

The additional mechanism according to this invention comprises a differential gear N which combines the movements of the shafts C and a 45 and imparts the resultant (which is the algebraic )sum of the said movements) to a shaft N The movement of the shaft N is combined with the movement of the shaft a by meansof a differential gear N and the resultant (which is the 50 algebraic sum of these movements) is imparted to a shaft N' The movement of the shaft N is in turn combined with the'movement of a shaft N (operated in accordance with own speed correction) by means of a differential gear N and the resultant (which is the algebraic sum of the said movements) is imparted to a transmitter N which operates a receiving motor N at the controlling sight station. This motor either directly or by the well known follow-the-pointer method or (as shown) by a relay device N operates a differential gear N which is associated with the sight elevating gear and is controlled by a handle N" and the sight A is therefore elevated in accordance with generated elevation corrected for the factors involved. The handle N is a tuning handle for use if the target changes course or speed and its movement is added algebraically by the differential gear N to the movement of the sight and of the transmitter A. When the sight A is elevated or depressed in accordance with the sight roll only, the transmitter N is driven from the shaft a only and in this case the handle hi is used for elevating or depressing the sight to follow the movements of the target in the usual. way.

The movements of the shafts D and b' are combined by means of a differential gear which imparts the resultant to a shaft 0 The movement of the latter shaft and the movement of a shaft 0 (which is operated in accordance with own speed correction) are combined by means of a differential gear 0 operating a shaft 0 the movement of which is combined by means of a differential gear 0 with the movement of a yaw relay 0 The resultant of the last-mentioned differential gear is imparted to a transmitter 0 which operates a receiving motor 0' at the controlling sight station. This motor either directly or by the well known follow-the-pointer method or (as shown) by a relay device 0 operates a differential gear 0 which is associated with the training mechanism of the sight carriage B and is controlled by a handle 0 and the sight A is therefore trained in accordance with genera ted training corrected for the factors involved. The handle 0 is a tuning handle for use if the target changes courses or speed and its movement is added algebraically by the differential gear 0 to the movement of the sight and of the transmitter B. When the sight A is trained in accordance with the sight training cross level only, the transmitter 0 is driven from the shaft 11 only and in this case the handle 0" is used for training the sight to follow the movements of the target in the usual way.

' It will be observed that in the construction according to Fig. 1 the vertical deflection setting handle 0 and the lateral deflection setting handle d of the calculator are situated at the calculator as in my concurrent patent application referred to above.

In the construction according to Figure 2 the vertical and lateral deflection setting handles 0 and d are arranged at the controlling sight station instead at the calculator as in Figure 1 and their movements are transmitted by transmitters c and :1 to receiving motors c and (1" connected to the vertical and lateral deflection setting shafts of the calculator. In this case the comparison pointers and their associated parts of Figure 1 (described in my aforesaid concurrent specification) are omitted,and the sight itself becomes the point of balance since the operator sets the deflections so as to cause the calculator to generate elevation and training in order to make the sight automatically follow the target. The elevation and training tuning handles C and D' on the receiver part of Figur 1 (also described in my said concurrent specification) also become unnecessary.

In Figure 1 the comparison pointers may be replaced by plotting devices (which also are not required in Figure 2) and in both Figures 1 and 2 5 the alternative means shown in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings of my aforesaid concurrent patent application for determining the roll may be employed instead of the means illustrated.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus for use in the fire control of anti-aircraft guns on a ship or other unstable platform, comprising a controlling sight, mechanism generating movements in accordance with 15 the angle in a datum horizontal-plane formed by the traces of the vertical plane containing the line of sight when the sight trunnions are truly horizontal and the vertical plane containing the line of sight when the sight trunnions are inclined, and means for training the controling sight in accordance with said movements.

2. Apparatus for use in the fire control of antiaircraft guns on a ship or other unstable platform, comprising in combination ,with the elements claimed in claim 1, of a calculator means for deriving from the calculator a movement in accordance with the training angle and functions thereform, comprising in combination with the elements claimed in claim 1, of a calculator, means for deriving from the calculator a movement in accordance with the training angle and functions thereof, means for further training said sight in accordance with the last-mentioned movement, a lateral deflection setting handle for the calculator, said handle being arranged at the controlling sight position, and means for transmitting the movements of said handle to the lateral deflection setting shaft of the calculator.

4. Apparatus for use in the fire control of anti-aircraft guns on a ship or other unstable platform comprising a controlling sight, a calculator generating elevation movements, means deriving generated elevation movements from the calculator, mechanism for producing movement in accordance with the roll of the platform in the normal vertical plane of said sight, and means for continuously transmitting both -of said movements to the sight for stabilization of the sight.

5. Apparatus for use in' the fire control of anti-aircraft guns on a ship or other unstable platform comprising a controlling sight, a calculator, means deriving generated elevation movements from the calculator, mechanism for producing movements in accordance with the difference between the angle of elevation of the sight in a vertical plane when the controlling sight trunnions are truly horizontal and the corresponding angle in a vertical plane measured from the same datum plane when the sight trunnions are inclined due to roll, and means for transmitting both movements to the sight for stabilization of the sight.

6. Apparatus for use in the fire control of anti-aircraft guns on a ship or other unstable platform comprising in combination with the elements claimed in claim 4, mechanism for producing movements in accordance with the difference between the angle of elevationof the sight in a vertical plane when the controlling sight trunnions are truly horizontal and the corresponding angle in a vertical plane measured from the same datum plane when the sight trunnions are inclined due to roll, and means for incorporating the movements in the movements transmitted to the sight.

7. Apparatus as in claim 4 and having a memher having movements in accordance with corrections required for own speed, and means for incorporating these movements in the movements transmitted to the sight.

8. Apparatus as in claim 5 and having a memher having movements in accordance with corrections required for own speed, and means for incorporating these movements in the movements transmitted to the sight.

9. Apparatus for use in the fire control of anti-aircraft guns on a ship or other unstable platform comprising in combination with the elements claimed in claim 4, mechanism for producing movements in accordance with the difference between the angle of elevation of the sight in a vertical plane when the controlling sight trunnions are truly horizontal and the corresponding angle in a vertical plane measured from the same datum plane when the sight trunnions are inclined due to roll, a member having movements in accordance with corrections for own speed, and means for incorporating both of these movements in the movements transmitted to the sight.

10. Apparatus for use in the fire control of anti-aircraft guns on a ship or other unstable platform, comprising a controlling sight, at calculator generating elevation movements, means deriving generated elevation movements from the calculator, means for continuously transmitting these movements to the sight, an element movable solely in accordance with the difference be tween the angle of elevation of the sight in a vertical plane when the controlling sight trunnions are truly horizontal and the corresponding angles in a vertical plane measured from the same datum plane when the sight trunnions are inclined due to roll, another element movable solely in accordance with the roll of the platform in the normal vertical plane of said sight, and means for correcting the movements transmitted to the sight in accordance with the movements of both of these elements.

11. Apparatus for use in the fire control of anti-aircraft guns on a ship or other unstable platform, comprising a controlling sight, a calculator generating elevation movements, means deriving generated elevation movements from the calculator, means for continuously transmitting these movements to the sight, a vertical deflection setting handle for the calculator, said handle being arranged at the controlling sight position, and means for transmitting the movements of said handle to the vertical deflection setting shaft of the calculator.

'12. Apparatus for use in the fire control of anti-aircraft guns on a ship or other unstable platform comprising a controlling sight, a calculator, means deriving generated elevation movements from the calculator, means for deriving generated training movements from the calculator, mechanism for producing movements in v accordance with the roll of the platform in the normal vertical plane of said sight, means for generating sight trunnion roll training correction movements, means for generating sight trunnion roll elevation correction movements, an element having movements in accordance with own speed correction for elevation, a member having movements in accordance with own speed correction for training, a member having movements in accordance with angle of .yaw, and means for continuously transmitting all of these movements to the sight.

13. Apparatus for use in the fire control of anti-aircraft guns on a ship or other unstable platform, comprising a controlling sight, mechanism for producing movements in accordance with the roll of the platform in the normal ver-' tical plane of said sight, means for continuously transmitting said movements to the sight for stabilization of the sight, a calculator, a lateraldeflection setting handle for the calculator, said handle'being arranged at the controlling sight position, and means for transmitting the movements of said handle to the lateral-deflection setting shaft of the calculator.

JOHN PERCIVAL WATSON. 

